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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29632362">new ways of seeing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam_roulette/pseuds/sam_roulette'>sam_roulette</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, Gen, The Stranger Fear Entity (The Magnus Archives), Uncanny Valley, mild body horror</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:15:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29632362</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam_roulette/pseuds/sam_roulette</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s a dog in the alleyway behind their house. It ambles on a few too many legs, causing the slink of its spine to crush itself together like the bellows of an accordion. Tim knows the dog is there because when he glances out his bedroom window it stares up at him with terribly uncanny eyes dyed the yellow of faded marbles. </p><p>Tim wouldn’t have a problem ignoring it if not for Danny trying to pet it.</p><p>[Prompt: past/future]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Danny Stoker &amp; Tim Stoker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Stoker Week!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>new ways of seeing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>CW<br/>- mild body horror, not really graphic but with some uncanny descriptors<br/>- paranoia (from Danny leaving the circus for the first time)<br/>- implied body snatching</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There’s a dog in the alleyway behind their house. It ambles on a few too many legs, causing the slink of its spine to crush itself together like the bellows of an accordion. Tim knows the dog is there because when he glances out his bedroom window it stares up at him with terribly uncanny eyes dyed the yellow of faded marbles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tim wouldn’t have a problem ignoring it, if not for Danny trying to pet it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tim stares from the window on the second floor, frozen in place as his younger brother- barely eight, full of disregard for the world around him- stumbles out of the back gate and tries to close it as quietly as he can. The dog leers at the end of the alley, snuffling in a way that causes its nose to teeter dangerously on its face. Danny crouches a bit on the ground to make himself seem smaller- not a hard thing to do, considering the fact that this monster is easily as tall as Danny is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Tim hears Danny faintly going </span>
  <em>
    <span>pspsspsps </span>
  </em>
  <span>from the window he snaps into action.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes the steps two at a time before barreling his way out of the house, not caring at how the screen door bangs up against his ankles as he trips out. He doesn’t bother closing the gate when he slides into the alley- it’d only be blocking off a method of escape. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The weird up dog has come closer now. It looms over Danny, regarding the hand outstretched to it as though unsure whether to tear it off or bite it so badly someone else would have to finish the job. Danny looks back at Tim without a care in the world and waves, grinning. “Hey, Tim! Look at this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Danny,” Tim said warningly, “get away from that thing-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Why-?” But the dog is one quick animal. It opens its mouth and, quick as a flash, closes it around empty air, shoving its forehead into Danny’s palm. Danny turns back to it, delighted, and begins to pet the weird horror-movie esque thing as though that’s the sensible thing to do in this situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tim stands partially between the gate and the alley, watching Danny coo over what’s essentially a creature slithering straight out of his nightmares, and rubs his eyes. He looks again, expecting it to be different, and nope. That is still one fucked up looking dog.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny says, awed, “Look!! Aren’t you cute? Cutest baby? Baby thing? Baby?” The dog gives a low grumble that settles somewhere in Tim’s lungs, but its tail is weakly wagging. Danny glances back at Tim, grinning as he says, “Think mum will let us keep it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ.” Tim leans against the fencing, suddenly quite tired. “I sure hope not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their mother doesn’t let them keep the dog, but it’s far from the end of the “supernatural” encounters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A ghost is wailing in the hallways. Danny makes friends with it and it’s gone before either of them can lose any sleep for midterms. Really, it was the creaking of the house and the faulty air conditioning system, but Tim wouldn’t learn the particulars of construction until he was older.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there’s a man with an off-white jacket standing at the bus stop every day, watching them behind wide, opaque goggles. Danny marches over the fourth day and threatens to call the police; the man loses interest. Tim later recalled that there was nothing supernatural about the man- sans the fact that he was a bit of a creep, of course.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time Tim thinks he sees something- some kind of shadow in the corner, some kind of wisp in the fading light- Danny ends up proving it’s nothing. It starts to get easier to believe, too, the more he grows and the more skepticism sets in and the more the embarrassment of being protected by his little brother sank in. That there really aren’t any ghosts. That Tim’s just the kind of bloke with an overactive imagination. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s something that helps when he starts editing- taking something tangible in his own hands and learning the ins and outs of wordplay and theme, making it known so that his imagination doesn’t start getting away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there’s no ignoring Danny.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there’s no ignoring the way his skin isn’t quite right when he’s crying at Tim’s door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean to,” is the first thing that tumbles out of Danny’s mouth as he shudders, gluing himself to the edge of Tim’s door with a wild gleam in his eye. Tim gently reaches out to touch his arm, trying to coax him inside, and the muscles hiding underneath the jacket are </span>
  <span>wooden</span>
  <span> tense. “It was just- just supposed to be-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey,” Tim murmured, “it’s okay. You’re here now-"</span>
</p><p><span>“There’s something underneath the theatre,” Danny says, eyes fever-bright. “There’s something under the theatre-</span> <span>it wants me,” And the shuddering gives way to the first sobs as he repeats, “It </span><em><span>wants me.”</span></em></p><p>
  <span>“Come on- let’s get you something to drink,” Tim coaxes gently, not sure what to say. Not sure what to even think. The only thing that matters is Danny- getting him warm and safe, and getting him </span>
  <em>
    <span>inside. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t ask why Danny seems to stumble over his limbs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t ask why Danny’s voice is so hoarse- as though he isn’t used to speaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t ask why Danny’s spine seems to smooth out, when he hunches himself in half, burying his face in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tim makes sure his younger brother has a glass of water and the option of snacks, and sits across from him to listen. Danny tries to speak more clearly, trying to pull himself together through the fear still ravaging his system. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes a long while before Danny finally looks up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes are the yellow of faded marbles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'll be dead by the end of tonight,” Danny whispers, voice quavering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a chill that settles in Tim’s throat when he asks, “What makes you say that? Who’s coming- who </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>this to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny shakes his head. Only says, with the same tone and inflection, “I'll be dead.” And those are the only words he’s capable of saying, after that.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so Stoker Bros week is here and I'm excited!!! I'm sorry that the first thing I seem to think of is always angst but jhbvkn the Stoker brothers just make me feel Things. at least this time I didn't stuff all 7k in one basket, so I'll have time to really plan out what I've got for au day lol</p><p>Hope you enjoyed</p></blockquote></div></div>
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